Adventure Bike Rider

What's the trick with the ferries, is it best to book early or book as late as possible to get the best deal ?

Looking to go to France in September and the chunnel looks to be quite a lot cheaper at the moment. I am doing math as to wether it is cheaper to do ferry and cut some mileage or go a long route and save ferry cost cheers spud

Prices only get higher nearer to the sailing date, there's no point waiting for a better price.

Cheers mate Spud

hi bud if you join the camping caravan club you will save £££££££££££££s last year hull zeebrugge family £726.camping club £325. + discounts on camping sites.& can be used for bikes.also cheep travel insurance,& and a monthly mag.ps not as good as abr.have a nice w/end.al

Travelled to Italy in June with a friend - we met up in Germany. He took chunnel - a flexible ticket that was lot cheaper than ferry from Newcastle to Ijmuiden - but you can get good ferry deals.

For ferry prices - try a company called Nutt Travel - www.nutttravel.com - as their ferry prices can be considerably cheaper than buying direct from say DFDS out of Newcastle.

Hi Redmurty

As a rule book as early as you can.

By September the cost of fares tends to drop off somewhat as you'll be out of the 'peak' season.

Tunnel v ferry?

Depends which part of France you're going to: France is a big (and bum-numbingly boring) country to ride/drive thru' so, IMHO...

The tunnel (or a short ferry crossing) is great for anywhere down as far as Paris or eastern or south/eastern France.

France's Atlantic coast is best dealt with a relaxing overnight crossing to St Malo.

South/western France: save your sanity and take the long crossing to Northern Spain and then treat yourself to a short, but picturesque, ride eastwards over the mountains and into France.

But, which ever route you take... ENJOY!!!

If you do a long ferry trip eg Portsmouth - St Malo, consider a cabin. Its only around £19 and means you can lock all your kit up safely and dont have to wander around in leathers for 9hrs.

The earlier you book, it should, be cheaper

France is so big that the few quid you save on a short crossing is more than made up for in either fuel and tolls on the boring but quick autoroute OR taking slower roads but having to have a stopover. Avoid both by doing an overnighter. Plymouth Santander is perfect, a good meal, sleep and day on board a luxury ferry and then get dumped in NE Spain/SW France, ride the Pyrenees and a slow ride North homebound. Perfect

Another thumbs up for 'Nutt Travel', they are based in N-Ireland and very competitive prices re ferries etc, we booked a September sailing with them from Newcastle to Amsterdam etc....

If you call 'Nutt Travel' ask for Chris, very helpful/polite, superb service!

Looking at Pompey-Caen the best price so far is £118, down the west coast into the mountains and back up the Massif central. Going mid to end of September.

If anyone is going to santander about that time and wants to split the cabin cost I could well be interested

cheers Spud

Hi Spud, Ive sent you a discount code for Brittany Ferries, knocks a bit off! Anyone else is free to use it also. (just pm me)

And hello to everyone again after a 3 month break

cheers Marc

Cheers Marc I will be using it for my trip in September, but I have been warned that the weather in the Pyrenees may not be that good then. Cheers Spud

Ive done the Pyrenees twice in September and both times its been great! hardly any traffic (even in Andorra). The weather was kind both times although it got a little cool on the shaded sides later in the day but i was still able to wild camp high up for a few nights.
Theres some pics of my Sept 2005 trip in the bottom of my profile.

cheers Marc

900Fantrider wrote:
hi bud check my post re pyrenees,both sent about the same time.spookey eh cheers al